Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the SailNet Community forums, you must first register. Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.Please note: After entering 3 characters a list of Usernames already in use will appear and the list will disappear once a valid Username is entered.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

OR

Log-in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Click here to view the posting rules you are bound to when clicking the'Submit Reply' button below

My straight forward answer would be "yes" but I don't think it's is sailing exactly that is sexist. Any field where one gender is the majority over the other is most likely going to have sexism embroidered into that. I had this discussion on another sailing board, despite the original thread not really being about gender. When my fiance and I were on as crew, the skipper had my fiance doing all the "hard stuff" while I felt like I sat there and assisted the men. Obviously you will choose whoever is best suited for the job, and I agree that most men have more upper body strength than most women. But that being said, that does not mean it is necessary to snuff women out of things, because women have fortes that men don't.

If we could all learn to benefit from the opposite sexes' strengths, and combine them as opposed to comparing them, sexism wouldn't be as big of a deal, not only in sailing, but in the rest of the world.

That last paragraph was direct and to the point. The ability to benefit from ALL of the crew must be a major goal. The synergy of a crew can so easily provide for a wondrous experience. A good crew can be so much stronger, so much more able than just the sum of the individual strengths.

My straight forward answer would be "yes" but I don't think it's is sailing exactly that is sexist. Any field where one gender is the majority over the other is most likely going to have sexism embroidered into that. I had this discussion on another sailing board, despite the original thread not really being about gender. When my fiance and I were on as crew, the skipper had my fiance doing all the "hard stuff" while I felt like I sat there and assisted the men. Obviously you will choose whoever is best suited for the job, and I agree that most men have more upper body strength than most women. But that being said, that does not mean it is necessary to snuff women out of things, because women have fortes that men don't.

If we could all learn to benefit from the opposite sexes' strengths, and combine them as opposed to comparing them, sexism wouldn't be as big of a deal, not only in sailing, but in the rest of the world.

has anyone checked out the latest issue of good old boat? there is a story, titled "cruising memories generation to generation", about family carrying on the tradition of sailing that really shows just how sexist sailing really is.

Just went to the site, if you fill out a form you can get a review copy

has anyone checked out the latest issue of good old boat? there is a story, titled "cruising memories generation to generation", about family carrying on the tradition of sailing that really shows just how sexist sailing really is.

09-01-2014 08:52 PM

WindchaserPY23

Re: Is Sailing Sexist?

Having just come back from a long weekend cruise on the high seas (Lake Superior), I can say only that while the boat was always a dream of mine, my wife fell in love with cruising and we work as a well oiled team. Only the lack of experience gives me the edge on sailing skills but she is a quick learner.
If more women got involved earlier in sailing then the ownership ratio could be more even. A quick mental survey of the people we've run into cruising and at the marina does have more men buying boats but most couples in the boomer class tend to have both referring to the vessel as "our" boat.

i think this demonstrates a point about this thread. i think that everyone is totaly focused on the title but, i seriously have my doubts that very many actually read the review of the book linked to in the original post.

the writer of the review also made this big over blown issue about the title. but, their review of the actual book tells a different story as can be seen in this quote from the review:

"That breezy writing style is subversive- without directly spelling it out, First Mate Smith makes it clear who really runs a boat... which maybe why a First Mate is often more correctly known as The Admiral

If you've just bought a boat or are considering a boat purchase, this is a good place for new boaters of both sexes to start.

Just get past the cover."

i highlighted one section of the review because it seems to totally negate any sexism some people might read in the title. in fact, i might go a bit farther and say that that statement shows that THE review was actually a little sexist...against men.

on an ironic point, the review, which was a big rant about sexism, pointed out calling the woman 'the admiral' as a positive thing when some posters, here, tried to say it was a sexist name that was really poking fun at women. i guess the folks out looking to find isms everywhere forgot to compair notes about what constitutes an ism.

it sould also be noted that a woman, not a man, is the author of the book. also, it's subtitle indicates it as a book intended for, or at least aimed at, women.

so many posters have aimed their guns at how sexist male sailors are but, this isn't a book written by a man. in fact, i can't think of one sailing book that is written by a man (that i have ever seen) that is sexist in title or content, in any way...and i have a lot of old sailing books. when i first taught myself to sail (through reading books...no internet...and putting what i read into practice), i bought used books because of cost and a lot of them were written in the 60s and 70s. i was given one new book as a gift.

so, even back then, male sailors were not writing sexist sailing books. it took a woman to write the book (with a supposedly sexist title) that started this entire thread off.

it should be noted, if you read the review you will discover that it's author has a huge case of chip on shoulder. the first half of the review is a rant at how sexist sailing is; all of boating actually. the title really set the author of the review off... only to end up giving it a very good and positive review because, not only was there nothing sexist about the book but, it was a good book.

the trouble with walking around with a chip on your shoulder is that you take offense at just about everything even if there is nothing offensive intended or implied.

Jack, no offense but I only have time to skim the long posts. I get the jist though, that sexism doesn't exist for you. I'm ok with that.

You don't have to go beyond the book title in the original question. "first mate"=woman. Dated, stereotypical.

i think this demonstrates a point about this thread. i think that everyone is totaly focused on the title but, i seriously have my doubts that very many actually read the review of the book linked to in the original post.

the writer of the review also made this big over blown issue about the title. but, their review of the actual book tells a different story as can be seen in this quote from the review:

"That breezy writing style is subversive- without directly spelling it out, First Mate Smith makes it clear who really runs a boat... which maybe why a First Mate is often more correctly known as The Admiral

If you've just bought a boat or are considering a boat purchase, this is a good place for new boaters of both sexes to start.

Just get past the cover."

i highlighted one section of the review because it seems to totally negate any sexism some people might read in the title. in fact, i might go a bit farther and say that that statement shows that THE review was actually a little sexist...against men.

on an ironic point, the review, which was a big rant about sexism, pointed out calling the woman 'the admiral' as a positive thing when some posters, here, tried to say it was a sexist name that was really poking fun at women. i guess the folks out looking to find isms everywhere forgot to compair notes about what constitutes an ism.

it sould also be noted that a woman, not a man, is the author of the book. also, it's subtitle indicates it as a book intended for, or at least aimed at, women.

so many posters have aimed their guns at how sexist male sailors are but, this isn't a book written by a man. in fact, i can't think of one sailing book that is written by a man (that i have ever seen) that is sexist in title or content, in any way...and i have a lot of old sailing books. when i first taught myself to sail (through reading books...no internet...and putting what i read into practice), i bought used books because of cost and a lot of them were written in the 60s and 70s. i was given one new book as a gift.

so, even back then, male sailors were not writing sexist sailing books. it took a woman to write the book (with a supposedly sexist title) that started this entire thread off.

it should be noted, if you read the review you will discover that it's author has a huge case of chip on shoulder. the first half of the review is a rant at how sexist sailing is; all of boating actually. the title really set the author of the review off... only to end up giving it a very good and positive review because, not only was there nothing sexist about the book but, it was a good book.

the trouble with walking around with a chip on your shoulder is that you take offense at just about everything even if there is nothing offensive intended or implied.

08-17-2014 09:18 PM

Minnewaska

Re: Is Sailing Sexist?

I don't know any woman that don't like pizza. I know many that adore shoes beyond my comprehension. I don't insist on either.

What does this have to do with women sailors?

I have faith in humanity, as is I just finished a three week cruise and didn't come upon any female sailors that had a chip on their shoulder anything like that of this thread. Everyone was happy.

This thread has more than 10 replies.
Click here to review the whole thread.